21 November 2017

Gear Post

26 October 2017

Features Post

28 September 2017

Features Post

03 August 2017

A team of amphibian keepers at ZSL London Zoo is the first in the world to successfully breed a critically endangered aquatic frog from Africa, marking a momentous step in ensuring the future survival of the species.

The Lake Oku clawed frog, Xenopus longipes, is ranked as number 35 on ZSL’s EDGE List (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) due to its perilous conservation status and unique evolutionary history.

Native only to Lake Oku, a single high altitude freshwater lake in Western Cameroon, Africa, the small, totally aquatic frogs are some of the most genetically unusual creatures in the world, having developed extra chromosomes throughout their evolution.

Four of ZSL London Zoo’s 13 tadpoles have already metamorphosed into juvenile frogs, and ZSL’s team of zookeepers has been working tirelessly to ensure the precise conditions are maintained for the precious amphibians.

Ben Tapley, head of the reptile and amphibian team at ZSL London Zoo said: "These critically endangered amphibians represent a unique branch of the evolutionary tree of life. Due to their restriction in the wild to just a single and relatively small site, they’re incredibly vulnerable to threats of invasive species or disease, which would be catastrophic if introduced to Lake Oku.

"We worked closely with field biologists to obtain very precise environmental data from Lake Oku which we replicated in our facilities here at ZSL London Zoo.

"We will now be able to share our insights gleaned from naturally breeding these frogs with conservation biologists working with the species in Cameroon and zoos around the world to help ensure a sustainable population can be maintained.

I’m always amazed at the consistency, tirelessness, and dedication of my team of contributors. It doesn’t matter how obscure, how ‘out there’ a subject I toss their way, they take it, run with it, and make it into something beautiful.
I never imagined that I would be excited over a review of holiday feeders, but Gabor found a way. I thought I knew it all about Apistos, but Max taught me something new.

We use cookies to improve your experience of this website by remembering your usage preferences, collecting statistics, and targeting relevant content. If you continue to use this site we’ll assume you’re happy to receive all cookies.